Adjustable curb bit



Nov. 18, 1969 c. L. WELTON 3,478,493

ADJUSTABLE CURB BIT Filed March 15. 1967 INVENTOR. Fig.4 Chofles L.Welron A'ITORNEYS United States Patent 3,478,493 ADJUSTABLE CURB BITCharles L. Welton, Weltons Western Wear, Saratoga, Wyo. 83231 Filed Mar.15, 1967, Ser. No. 623,257 Int. Cl. B68b 1/06, 1/08 US. Cl. 54-7 7Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to bridle bits,and more particularly, to curb bits, a primary object of the inventionbeing to provide adjustable rein levers on a curb bit.

Another object of the invention is to provide anovel and improved curbbit with adjustable rein levers which permits the same bit action incontrolling a horse to be obtained by lightweight riders who exert alight pull on the reins as by heavy riders who naturally exert acomparatively heavier pull on the reins.

Another object of the invention is to provide a curb bit havingadjustable rein levers which may be used with equal facility andeffectiveness by either a small person with limited strength, such as achild, and by a larger, comparatively stronger person.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved curbbit which is built and arranged for easy attachment to standard bridlesadapted to receive a conventional curb bit, and requires no additionalspecial equipment for adjusting or using it.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improvedcurb bit having adjustable rein levers which is a simple,neat-appearing, low-cost, rugged and durable unit.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention comprisescertain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts andelements as hereinafter described, defined in the appended claims andillustrated in preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the head portion of a horse wearinga bridle harness including the improved curb bit constructed accordingto the invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric, elevational view of the curb bit per se.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the bit, but on an enlarged, scalecompared with FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional portion as taken from the indicatedline 44 at FIG. 2, but on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary portion, partly in section, as taken from theindicated arrow 5 at FIG. 3, but on an enlarged scale.

FIG. -6 is a transverse sectional view as taken from the indicated line6-6 at FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view as taken from the indicated line7-7 at FIG. 5.

A bridle with a curb bit is desirable for horses which are somewhat hardto control since a pull of the reins will rotate the bit about its port,the bar extending across the horses mouth, to press the port against theanimals jaw and tongue as the chin strap of the bridle is pulled tight.To prevent cutting the animals mouth, the bit port is rounded and smoothwith the result that an animal may resist a substantial pressure on thebit without being in- 3,478,493 Patented Nov. 18, 1969 jured. Suchpressure is elfected by the pull of the reins attached to lever arms ateach side of the bit, and it follows that the amount of pull required toeffectively rotate the bit in an animals mouth is directly related tothe length of these lever arms.

conventionally, a curb bit is manufactured as a unitary structure withthe length of the rein levers being selected for an average type of useas with an average horse. Where it becomes necessary to use longer orshorter rein levers, for example if the horse is difficult to control,or if the rider is a lightweight individual, a special curb bit ofsuitable proportions will be used. Such special bits, necessarilymanufactured as custom items, can become quite expensive.

Accordingly, there exists a need for curb bits having variable lengthrein levers, and the present invention was conceived and developed withsuch a need in view. It comprises, in essence, a curb bit having reinlevers which are easily adjustable in length.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the improved curb bit B isadapted to be used with any common type of bridle harness H such as thatillustrated at FIG. 1. The bridle H is formed as an assemblage of strapsincluding the upper headstall straps U and a throat latch I which securethe bridle to the head of the horse. The headstall straps and throatlatch join at a swivel connector S at each side of the bridle, and acheck piece P extends from each swi-vel connector S towards the horsesmouth to connect with the bridle ring 10 of the curb bit B. The bridlealso includes a noseband N and a chin strap C. Each end of the band Nand each end of the strap C connect with the bridle ring 10 of the bit,the noseband extending over the nose of the horse and the chin strap Cextending underneath the horses jaw.

The curb bit B is also conventional in its general form. A transversemouth port 11 forms an axis or fulcrum of the bit. A side arm 12 isafiixed to each side of this port 11, and the arms 12 are adapted to bepulled and rotated to rotate the port 11. The straight arm 12 shown inthe drawing is one style of bit. Another style of bit provides for acurved portion of the arm adjacent to the port; however, the presentinvention can be effectively used with either style, or even otherstyles of bits not shown herein. The center portion of the port isordinarily olfset as at 13 to relieve the horses tongue when it isrotated and pressed against the animals jaw. Each arm 12 is formed withan enlarged head 14 at its connection with the port 11 to facilitateconstruction of the bit and to prevent the bit from moving sidewise inthe horses mouth. One mode of construction is with the rod forming theport extending through a hole in each head 14 and then being riveted orwelded into position.

Each side arm 12 includes a short portion, a bridle lever 15 whichcarries the bridle ring 10. This lever 15 is so positioned as tonormally lie in approximate alignment with the horses lips when the chinstrap is relaxed.

Rotation of this bridle lever 15 will move the ring 10 upwardly to pullagainst the chin strap and to reactively press the port against thehorsess jaw. Each side arm 12 also extends oppositely from the lever 15to form a rein lever 16. The rein lever is angled slightly from the axisof the headstall lever, preferably to hang in a depending position whenthe bridle lever 15 is in its relaxed position, aligned with a horseslips, and when the horses head is elevated to normal position. Each reinlever 16 carries an eye 17 at its bottom end whereto the reins R areattached so that a pull of the reins may rotate the levers to pullagainst the headstall ring and to pull the port against the horses jaw,thus providing an efiective control of the horses movements.

In this improved bit the length of the rein levers 16 is adjustable.Each rein lever 16 is formed as a tube 18 having its base merging intothe arm head 14 with its extended end 19 open to slideably receive anextension rod 20. The extension rod, a solid member, snugly fits withinthe tube with the rein eyes 17 at its outer end. The lengths of the tube18 and of the extension rod 20 are arranged to provide a rein leverwhich would be the shortest ordinarily used with a curb bit when the rodis fully retracted, and to provide a rein lever which would be thelongest ordinarily used with a curb bit when the rod is fully extended.

The open end 19 of the tube 18 is formed with a coneshaped taper 21having longitudinal slots 22 to permit this end to be squeezed againstthe rod in the manner of a collet to lock the rod in the tube at anyselected position. This end is also threaded as at 23 to receive a locknut 24 whose base 25 meshes with the taper 21 to effect a tightsqueezing action whenever the. nut is tightened upon the tube. Tofacilitate gripping and quick tightening and loosening of this nut, itssurface is suitably corrugated or knurled.

A simple construction holds each rod in its tube against rotation sothat the eye 17 will always be properly aligned with respect to the arm12. A major reach of the rod is formed wtih a flat surface 26 as by asimple milling operation and an identation 27, formed in the body of thetube adjacent to the lock nut 24, faces and contacts the surface 26. Toprevent the rod from falling out of the tube should the lock nut 24become accidentally loosened, the flat 26 does not extend to the innerend of this rod, but terminates a short distance therefrom to provide anabutment 28 which cannot move past the indentation 27 when the rod isextended. Accordingly, with the indentation adjacent to the end 19 ofthe tube, whenever the abutment 28 contacts the indentation 27, the rod20 is at its furthest extended position.

In the manufacture of this improved bit, the port 11 and the upperportions of the arms 12, including the heads 14, bridle levers 15 andbridle rings 10, may be manufactured in any conventional manner. Thetubes 18 may be prepared separately and then welded or otherwiseattached to the head 14. Another mode of manufacture, as where the arms12 are drop-forged, is to form and subsequently drill the tube portions18 of the arms 12. Likewise, the extension rod 20 may be a simpleforging with the rein eye 17 formed as a unitary part thereof, or of rodstock with the eye 17 rolled or welded to the end thereof. The rods 20must be assembled into the tubes 18 prior to the forming of theindentation 27.

Each rod 20 is fitted and rotated to a proper position into the tube 18before a press or die strikes the tube to form the indentation 27.

I have now described one preferred form of my invention in considerabledetail. However, it is obvious that others skilled in the art can deviseand build alternate and equivalent constructions which are within thespirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a curb bit of the type having a mouth port adapted to extendtransversely across the mouth of a horse and an arm at each side thereofsubstantially normal to the axis of the mouth port, with one portion ofeach arm extending generally upwardly from its connection with the mouthport when the bit is worn by a horse to constitute a first lever havingan eye for connection with a bridle and with a second, opposing portionof each arm extending generally downwardly from its connection with theport to constitute a rein lever having a rein eye at its end forconnection to a rein, wherein said rein lever comprises:

a first member connecting with the mouth port and a second membercarrying the rein eye slidably engaged with the first member to extendtherefrom, and

a means for interlocking said members at selected positions to providefor the lengthening and shortening of the aforesaid rein lever.

2. In the organization set forth in claim 1, wherein said first memberof each rein lever is tubular and where in the second, extended memberthereof is a rod telescopically fitting within said first member andsaid interlocking means to secure the rod at a selected position withinthe tubular member is mounted at the end of the said tubular member.

3. In the organization set forth in claim 2 including a means at the rodand at the tube adapted to prevent the rod from rotating within thetube.

4. In the organization set forth in claim 2 wherein said interlockingmeans comprises slits and threads at the end of the tube and a lock nutthreaded upon the end of the tube, and being adapted to squeeze theslitted end portions of the tube together as the lock nut is turned intoposition.

5. In the organization set forth in claim 2 wherein the extension rod isflattened at one side and an indentation is formed in the tubular walladapted to bear against the flattened side to prevent the extension rodfrom being rotated.

6. In the organization set forth in claim 5 wherein the means forpreventing rotation of the rod within the tube comprises a flattenedreach at one side of the rod and an indentation in the tubular walladapted to bear against the surface of this reach.

7. In the organization set forth in claim 6, including an abutment atthe inner end of the rod adapted to contact the indentation when the rodis at its fully extended position, whereby to prevent the rod fromfalling out of the tube should the holding means become accidentallyloosened.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 140,010 6/1873 Carpenter 547186,371 1/1877 Short 54-7 1,154,704 9/1915 Leyson 28758 X 1,164,80112/1915 Frazier 28758 X 1,185,388 5/1916 Fairchild 28758 X 1,240,5829/1917 Kirsch 28758 1,684,830 9/ 1928 Heffelbower 27942 X 1,988,8071/1935 Pierson 27942 X 3,125,396 3/1964 Bertram 5 X 3,304,692 2/1967Lovell 547 ALDRICH F. MEDBERY, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 54-15

